Ayaka Katayama is a Japanese manga artist and designer, recognized as the creator of the science fiction manga series Fungus and Iron, which is scheduled to receive a television anime adaptation.

Katayama began her professional career as a designer at the Japanese company KAYAC, where she is noted for having a first name composed entirely of the vowel sound "a". She launched her most prominent work, Fungus and Iron, in March 2021. The series debuted in Kodansha's Bessatsu Shonen Magazine, and its first compiled tankoubon volume was published in July of the same year. As of early 2026, the series has produced eight volumes, with a ninth volume scheduled for release in April 2026. Kodansha USA publishes the manga digitally in English under the title Fungus and Iron.

The story of Fungus and Iron is set in a dystopian future where fungi have risen to the top of the food chain and control human society. The protagonist, Dante, is considered an irregular presence within this rigidly managed world due to his curiosity and inability to suppress his emotions. After a fateful encounter with a young woman named Aoi, Dante resolves to challenge the principles that govern his society. The work has been noted for its thematic exploration of freedom and humanity's essence, and has received praise from Hajime Isayama, the creator of Attack on Titan.

In March 2026, it was officially announced that Fungus and Iron would be adapted into a television anime series. In a statement released alongside the announcement, Katayama expressed her joy and disbelief at the adaptation, thanking the readers for their support and noting her active involvement in supervising the production.